Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 143: No Regrets

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: No Regrets

Before today, Shen Yubai was definitely not an impulsive person.

Especially when it came to Xu Chuning’s matters, he was extremely cautious. But just now, upon seeing the fleeting disappointment in Xu Chuning’s eyes, as well as her desolate expression, he couldn’t control himself and blurted out what he had been holding back for days.

After Shen Yubai’s words were out, Xu Chuning, as well as the others, stared at him intently, each displaying different emotions.

Xu Chuning frowned, while Xu Zhiyan questioned incredulously, "Shen Yubai, what are you talking about?"

What does she mean by usurping the nest? When has she ever done that? Whose nest has she taken? Xu Chuning’s?

Compared to Xu Zhiyan’s frenzy, Ye Qionfang appeared much calmer. She was startled momentarily, her expression stern, "Yubai, what did you say?"

She grabbed Shen Yubai’s hand, her voice trembling, "Repeat what you just said."

Shen Yubai paused, subconsciously glanced at Xu Chuning beside him.

Their eyes met.

Shen Yubai’s lips moved as he pondered how to proceed when Xu Chuning recovered her senses and rescued Shen Yubai from Ye Qionfang’s grasp, raising her eyes to look at the woman who was both strange and yet familiar, "You heard it."

She spoke in a calm, somewhat cold tone, "There’s no need for Shen Yubai to repeat it."

For the first time, Xu Chuning addressed an elder without any honorifics.

After saying this, Xu Chuning turned her head, "Mom, is it time for the parent-teacher meeting?"

You Shuzhen was still processing the shocking news she had just learnt, coming back to her senses, "Ningning..."

"I’m okay," Xu Chuning held her hand, whispering softly, "Shall we go to the parent-teacher meeting?"

You Shuzhen frowned, "Her—"

"I’ll explain it to you later," Xu Chuning reassured her.

You Shuzhen, not someone unaccustomed to the world, knew that this moment was definitely not the time to ask Xu Chuning and Shen Yubai how they knew... that Ye Qionfang was Xu Chuning’s biological mother. She hesitated but nodded, "Okay, let’s go to the parent-teacher meeting first."

Having agreed with You Shuzhen, Xu Chuning turned to look at Shen Yubai’s parents, "...Uncle, Aunt, we’ll go to the parent-teacher meeting first."

Shen Xingyan, comparatively calm, responded, "Go ahead."

After saying this, he gently patted Sang Menglan’s shoulder, "Don’t you have a parent-teacher meeting for Sinian?"

Sang Menglan came back to her senses, "Oh right..."

She pursed her lips, looking at Xu Chuning, "Ningning, right?" Sang Menglan said very familiarly, "I’m here for Sinian’s parent-teacher meeting, shall I go with you?"

Xu Chuning hummed softly in response, "This way, Aunt."

Watching the three of them leave, Ye Qionfang wanted to follow but was stopped by Shen Yubai, "Aunt Ye."

Ye Qionfang raised her eyes, her eyes reddened, "Yubai."

Shen Yubai took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and asked, "Didn’t Uncle Xu come to the school today?"

Shen Xingyan also spoke in time, "You should call Yiming; let’s talk about this matter outside."

"Mom!" Xu Zhiyan, standing nearby and overhearing their conversation, asked in disbelief, "Do you believe them?"

If Shen Yubai’s accusations were baseless, and he had told her that Xu Zhiyan was not her biological daughter—even before she had met Xu Chuning—she wouldn’t believe it at all. But blood ties are a strange thing, all the more so when Xu Chuning was a child born from her womb.

The moment she saw her just now, Ye Qionfang felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Coupled with the words that slipped from Shen Yubai’s mouth just now, her instincts told her that what Shen Yubai said was true. Xu Zhiyan was not her biological daughter; another person was, and although Shen Yubai didn’t explicitly say it, from their interaction, she could guess—the girl just now was her biological daughter.

"Mom!" Ye Qionfang’s delayed response prompted Xu Zhiyan to shout with wide eyes, "You don’t really believe them, do you? They’re lying to you."

Under Xu Zhiyan’s clamor, Ye Qionfang regained her senses, closed her eyes, and steadied her emotions, "I’ll call your father first."

Xu Zhiyan’s face turned pale, "Mom, how could you—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Ye Qiongfang calmly comforted her, "Yanyan, Yubai is someone I’ve watched grow up, he’s not likely to deceive me." As she said this, she added, "Even if he did deceive us, we still need to find a place to talk and figure out why Yubai would lie to me."

Hearing this, Shen Yubai slightly tugged at the corner of his lips, not joining the conversation.

Ye Qiongfang called her husband Xu Yiming, and Shen Xingyan quickly made a call to the principal of Mingzhi Middle School, explaining that he, along with Xu Yiming and the children, had an emergency to deal with and would be absent from today’s parent-teacher conference.

Since they were already in the international class, the financial contribution that Shen Group had made to Mingzhi Middle School was so considerable that, even if Shen Yubai didn’t attend a single class for a semester, the principal wouldn’t dare to object, let alone missing one parent-teacher conference.

After hanging up the phone, Shen Xingyan looked at the two opposite him, "Let’s go."

Xu Zhiyan remained still, "I’m not going."

She stood her ground, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Shen Yubai, "Even if you don’t like me, there’s no need to ruin me, is there? When have I ever offended you?"

All she did was like him, that’s all.

"You should ask yourself that question." Shen Yubai didn’t want to say much to her, "When you deliberately made things difficult for Xu Chuning just now, she might have been wondering when she had ever offended you."

Xu Zhiyan turned ashen-faced, "They bumped into me first."

"They accidentally bumped into you, and that was their fault, but why did you demand compensation from Aunt You, even after she apologized and your clothes weren’t even dirtied?" Shen Yubai asked.

Xu Zhiyan opened her mouth, wanting to argue.

Shen Yubai let out a cold sneer first, "Aunt Ye, let’s go. If she won’t come, then just us will go."

Ye Qiongfang was silent, looking at Xu Zhiyan who continued to cry beside her, she spoke softly, "You guys go first? I’ll come later."

Shen Xingyan paused for a moment, "Alright, we’ll go first."

Such a big scandal had erupted, it was normal for Ye Qiongfang and Xu Zhiyan not to be able to accept it immediately. Xu Zhiyan, after all, was still a minor. Her ability to cope was weaker, acting like a little girl was something adults could understand.

Shen Xingyan and Shen Yubai left the school first and went to a nearby tea restaurant with high privacy, and took a private room.

After sitting down, Shen Xingyan glanced at the person beside him who took out his phone to send messages and quietly asked, "Regret spilling the beans just now?"

"...Actually, I don’t regret it," Shen Yubai admitted openly, "They would have found out sooner or later."

He was just worried that Xu Chuning might ignore him.

Shen Xingyan hummed lightly, "I understand you’re sticking up for Xu Chuning, but judging by her reaction just now, she didn’t seem appreciative."

Shen Yubai remained silent.

Seeing him like this for the first time, Shen Xingyan lifted his hand and lightly patted his shoulder with a sigh, "It appears my future daughter-in-law really has a hold over you."

Shen Yubai: "Dad."

He felt like Shen Xingyan was taking pleasure in his misfortune.

Shen Xingyan chuckled with a smile, "Just kidding."

He leaned over to look at Shen Yubai’s phone, "Did you send Xu Chuning a message? Did she reply?"

Shen Yubai: "...No."

Shen Xingyan raised his eyebrows, "Your message went through?"

"What do you mean by that?" Shen Yubai was confused.

Shen Xingyan hummed, "She hasn’t blocked you, which means she’s left you some room for explanation. You better give it your all."

Shen Yubai: "..."

That sounded like it wasn’t particularly something to celebrate.

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